She said: "The wonderful thing about [her condition] is that she's in and out."

Zabriskie added that she researched the storyline thoroughly and suggested that it could help people discuss the illness.

"I was like, 'How can this be?'" she revealed. "But it is not uncommon that someone gets herpes, and they don't know they had it, and the virus is hiding in their brain for 40 years... It's a real thing, and I will be very surprised if no dialog comes up about it. It should."